First Motown Act on Live TV

[jobucats]

I was just reading that Brenda Holloway was the first Motown act on live TV. Was this a national airing or local tv? If national, what show was it?

Also if by chance that article was referring to a local tv show, what Motown act was the first on a national tv show?

Thanks

[motony]

Mary Wells, Miracles & Marvelettes had been on American Bandstand from Philly. Mary Wells was on Shindig, LIVE & Hullaballoo LIVE.

[jobucats]

Mary Wells, Miracles & Marvelettes had been on American Bandstand from Philly. Mary Wells was on Shindig, LIVE & Hullaballoo LIVE.

Thanks, motony! So, to your knowledge, was Brenda Holloway's first live TV appearance on a national show like one of those? If not, which one of the above acts was first? Thanks again.

[reese]

I was just reading that Brenda Holloway was the first Motown act on live TV. Was this a national airing or local tv? If national, what show was it?

Also if by chance that article was referring to a local tv show, what Motown act was the first on a national tv show?

Thanks

I read this as well, on Facebook. I figured someone was mistaken. As Motony pointed out, many Motown acts had been on tv before Brenda.

[motony]

Mary Wells had been on the late night STEVE ALLEN SHOW in 1964, one of her last LIVE TV shows as a Motown artist.Before Branda Holloway for sure.

[BayouMotownMan]

Mary Wells had been on the late night STEVE ALLEN SHOW in 1964, one of her last LIVE TV shows as a Motown artist.Before Branda Holloway for sure.

I thought Stevie Wonder was the first. He did Ed Sullivan Live in early 64. The Bandstands, Shindigs, etc were taped, not live

[jobucats]

I’ll rephrase my query: what Motown act [[representing Motown) was first to perform on national television [[live or taped)?

[woodward]

I would offer this statement for a possible answer to the question. In The DJ That Launched 1000 Hits - the story of Robin Seymour it is stated: Stevie Wonder was 12 years old when he appeared on one of the first episodes of Teen Town, our dance show on Channel 9. Five years later he joined me on the last Swinging Time ever. dropping the "Little" from his name. I would imagine Teen Town had the honor of showing the first Motown artist, but I would not bet my life on it.

[WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance]

I would offer this statement for a possible answer to the question. In The DJ That Launched 1000 Hits - the story of Robin Seymour it is stated: Stevie Wonder was 12 years old when he appeared on one of the first episodes of Teen Town, our dance show on Channel 9. Five years later he joined me on the last Swinging Time ever. dropping the "Little" from his name. I would imagine Teen Town had the honor of showing the first Motown artist, but I would not bet my life on it.

Only thing is...Teen Town was a local show, not national...

[WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance]

I’ll rephrase my query: what Motown act [[representing Motown) was first to perform on national television [[live or taped)?

I think you're going to have to do some fine investigative work on this and find your answer by process of elimination. You want to know about a television show that was national as opposed to local. From the replies so far, you have The Ed Sullivan Show and American Bandstand- those were both national shows [[Bandstand initially was a local show, then picked up in various markets, then it became a national show in 1957.) These two shows came before the others shows being mentioned often, Shindig! and Hullabaloo. So that gives you a good starting point.

We know that Motown wasn't even a thing in 1957, the year when Bandstand went national, so that narrows things down a bit more.

BayouMotownMan believes Stevie Wonder was the first, appearing on Sullivan [[national) in 1964. If that's true, now you have to figure out when Brenda appeared on tv- and most likely, it would have been on Bandstand [[we know she didn't appear on Sullivan,) which would have been a national appearance vs. a local appearance [[plus, you amended your question so that you're looking for live OR taped on a national​ show.)

BUT, if Bandstand went national in 1957, then you have to figure out if Mary Wells, Martha & the Vandellas, the Marvelettes or Stevie appeared on Bandstand [[national) before 1964.

It's a wide-open question, but I think you'll get your answer if you do a little investigating and note appearance dates for American Bandstand and Sullivan- OR- maybe the answer is in one of the many books written about Motown. I have more of those than I should. I'll comb through them.

[motony]

I know for a fact that I saw Mary Wells, The Miracles & the Marvelettes on American Bandstand in 1962....I think they had actually all 3 been on before in 1961.

[woodward]

According to The History of American Bandstand book by Michael Shore with Dick Clark, page 101, the following is stated:

". . . Motown made its Bandstand debut on December 27, 1960, as Smokey Robinson and the Miracles performed their second hit, "Shop Around," . . . Mary Wells made her Bandstand debut on July 7, 1961, with her second hit, the number 33 'I Don't Want To Take a Chance" . . . "

Page 101 of the book.

[WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance]

[[corrected thanks to DW:) I think Motony got us closer to an answer and Woodward hit the bullseye. I also found an earlier thread about Motown television appearances; granted, the thread is about television appearances in general, but knowing that American Bandstand and Ed Sullivan are the best bets so far for a national show, the picks of Mary Wells, The Miracles and Marvelettes narrowed things down even more.

@jobucats: this might be about the most direct answer to your question, for now- and it seems Woodward nailed it- the Miracles were the first on a national television appearance.

[[If you want to check it out, here is the link to that older thread/discussion:

https://soulfuldetroit.com/showthread.php?25990-Motown-Performers-FIRST-Television-Appearances

[DWSheffer]

Looks like Woodward got the bullseye!

[WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance]

Looks like Woodward got the bullseye!

I think you're right, I re-worded it...
It's good to have multiple sets of eyes and minds working on things like this!